Russia-based Oil and Gas Company Lukoil has commissioned a 24MW hydroelectric power-generation unit at the Belorechensk Hydroelectric Power Plant and started to supply power to the wholesale market as part of the power plant Reconstruction Phase I.
Image: In February 2018, Lukoil launched a solar power plant at the company's refinery in Volgograd. Photo courtesy of LUKOIL.
Lukoil is continuing to develop its potential in the generation of renewable energy and is also busy with installation of another similar hydroelectric power-generation unit in Krasnodar Region, Russia.
The outdated equipment at the power plant is being replaced with modern highly efficient hydroelectric power-generation facilities, providing an increased power generation capacity of the unit from initial 16MW to 24MW.
Furthermore, all other auxiliary systems of the power plant are also expected to be upgraded as part of the reconstruction project.
The renovation is expected to extend the life of the Belorechensk power-generation plant with not less than forty years, which is expected to boost its economic viability and reliability of green power generation.
The project is based on the equipment manufactured in Russia and features innovative technologies. The features include a brushless excitation system and an electric drive of the turbine wicket gates, which raises the reliability of the hydro generator, excludes the risk of oil leaks and guarantees environmental and fire safety.
With a nameplate capacity of 48MW, the Belorechensk Power Plant is one of the largest power plants in the Krasnodar Region.
Overall, Lukoil’s renewable- power generation facilities includes four hydroelectric power plants in Russia with the total capacity of 291MW, three solar plants with a total capacity of 20MW at the company’s own refineries in Romania, Bulgaria and the city of Volgograd, Russia, and a 84MW wind-power station in Romania.
In February 2018, Lukoil launched a solar power plant at the company’s refinery in Volgograd. The 10MW power plant, constructed at idle land lots of the Volgograd refinery, produces 12 million kilowatt-hours of power and provide for an annual reduction of CO2 emissions by 10 thousand tonnes.